There are some games only spoken about through clenched teeth or balled fists from a select few that see them through to completion, bringing about the age-old question: How much should a game's difficulty curtail to newcomers, or should everyone just get used to whatever's on offer regardless? Having to yield to a particularly steep learning curve is something that can bind you to a title like your own person Everest, the surmounting of which after a multi-hour long ordeal can genuinely feel like winning some world record. However, some developers get it right - amping up the level of skill required and ensuring you always walk the right side of the fairness line - whilst others most definitely end up enacting the opposite; chucking waves of goons at you or opting for the 'increased damage' routine until you beg for mercy. Whichever it is, in a medium built on the joystick-mangling difficulties of the arcades (where titles were purpose-built to be near-impossible just to bleed as much cash out of you as possible) only the most capable would reign supreme and dominate their respective games - a mentality that's remained over the years in varying forms. So, where many games will hold your hand and ensure as long as you're hitting a prompt every five minutes you'll succeed, there are others with proud reputations built on establishing a barrier for entry that'll batter you mercilessly before you even know what's going on.
